Youth ministry ideas Great night at United (our midweek program)! We had one of our summer interns speak and he did a great job. It was good just to hang out with leaders and students and talk to them about signing up for camp.Break down for the night:Week 4 of The Hunger

7 Ways To Prepare For Stellar Meetings

It is probably weird to put "stellar" and "meetings" in the same sentence, since most people never associate the two. But if done correctly, meetings can actually provide value, momentum and productivity to a ministry and organization - if DONE correctly.

Here are 7 ways to prepare for more effective meetings from Ron Edmondson's blog:Ask the big question – The big question to ask before any meeting is scheduled is, “Do we need to meet?” For me personally, most meetings feel as if they are an interruption, even though I realize the importance of them. If the issue can be handled, without meeting, most will not argue. Unnecessary meetings cause frustration and slow progress. If people agree a meeting is necessary, they are more likely to come prepared to accomplish something.

Determine a win – The meeting will be more successful if before the meeting begins the purpose is clear. Ask the question, “What do we need to accomplish in the meeting for it to be successful?” Working towards a defined win will help keep the meeting headed in the right direction.

Invite the right people – Not every meeting needs to involve every person on the team. Decide who needs to be at the table and invite the appropriate people. Those without a defined purpose will tend to drag the meeting away from its purpose and leaves them frustrated. As a leader, I usually ask people on my team, “Do I need to be there?” when I learned of a meeting, before I place it on my calendar.